Lake County tightens rules on dog attacks

Pet-on-pet violence can result in impoundment

Diane Hewitt and her dog, Cindy. Hewitt's dog was attacked by another dog and seriously injured. (Provided, Diane Hewitt)

Dogs that attack other dogs can now be impounded in much of Lake County while an investigation is conducted.

The changes affect unincorporated Lake County and 40 of the 52 communities in the county that contract animal-control service to the county. Under the old ordinance, dogs that attacked other dogs were allowed to stay with their owners until an investigation was completed, often causing unease in the neighborhood, said Mark Pfister, director of population health services for the Lake County Health Department.

The new ordinance was prompted by an attack on County Board member Diane Hewitt's dog in February 2012. According to Hewitt, her 12-year-old, 12-pound Bichon Maltese named Cindy was with her on a leash in her Waukegan front yard when a 2-year-old female pit bull mix belonging to a neighbor attacked for no apparent reason.

"She was grabbed by the neck and shaken so hard she had liver and kidney damage," Hewitt said. "We were told she was dead, but she pulled through."

Hewitt said her dog incurred medical bills of nearly $2,000.

"She's not the sweet, innocent thing she had always been, and she learned it the hard way," Hewitt said.

The pit bull's owner voluntarily gave up his dog to be euthanized. But had the attack occurred in unincorporated Lake County, he would have been able to keep the dog until an investigation was completed and a decision was made, Hewitt said.

The investigations are done by Pfister or one of his deputies, and they decide what should be done to the aggressive dogs. If owners do not agree, they have the right to appeal in court, Pfister said.

Sandy Kamen Wisniewski, founder and director of the Animal Education and Rescue NFP in Libertyville, said some questions remain.

"One of my concerns would be giving Lake County animal control too much control over deciding what to do to these animals," she said. "I don't know if they are the right people to make those decisions."

Wisniewski added that the impound can be a "very stressful environment for animals."

Pfister said dog-on-dog attacks accounted for about 30 percent of the 2,000 reported bites in Lake County last year. He said 15 dogs died from such attacks. Depending on the incident, less severe options exist to euthanization, Pfister said. Other options include fining the owner, neutering or spaying the dog, muzzling the dog and ordering a dog confined to the owner's property.

The owner of an attacking dog is also liable under the Lake County Animal Control Act for any veterinary bills to a victim, Pfister said.

As for the 12 municipalities that do not contract with the county for animal control, some, like Waukegan and North Chicago, have their own ordinances. Pfister said the county would share its language with the 12 municipalities in hopes they'll adopt the same rules.

Hewitt and Pfister said it was important to report dog attacks and said animal-on-animal attacks were underreported.

"Animal-to-animal incidents are sometimes not looked at as being quite as severe," Pfister said. "It can be tough to report on your neighbor's dog, especially if you get along with your neighbor."

Hewitt said she learned from talking to neighbors later that the attacking pit bull had had previous incidents with other dogs that were not reported.

"People need to do the right thing and be responsible to other dog owners by reporting attacks," she said.